Culinary article



Nov. 23, 1937. N. BELL 2,10@02l CULINARY ARTICLE Filed Jan. l5, 1936 /NVENT NATHAN .5E BY lqoEY Y Patented Nov. 23, 1.937

Y Annen: Nathan Bell, Los Angeles, Calif. Applicant January is; 193.6. serial Ng.' 5am' Z Claims.

This invention relates to culinary articles, and is more particularly directed to new, novel and improved means for slicing fresh string beans and has for certain of its essential objects to provide a simple and inexpensive device of this character adapted to be clamped upon the edge of a table top or suitable support in aV manner to dispose the cutting knives in the direct path of downward insertion of the bean through a bean guide and enable one end of the bean to be pulled byA hand across the knives to thereby cut the bean into a plurality of sections or'substan- Vtially identical strips; the mannerof mounting the bean guide and the knives serving further tor greatly facilitatethe slicing operation and enable same to be deposited into a receptacle as readily as the slicing operation proceeds.

With the above mentioned and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel construction and combination of parts hereinafter described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing, and set forth in the claims hereto appended, it being understood that various changes in the form, proportion, size and minor details of ccnstruction within the scope of the claims may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawing, Figure 1 is a plan view of the device showing same applied to the top of a table;

Figure 2 isa vertical longitudinal section on line 2-2 of Figure 1; Y

Figure 3 is a horizontal section on line 3-3 of Figure 2; Figure 4 is a vertical section on line 4--4 of Figure 2; Y

vFigure 5 is a perspective View of thev blade holder; Y y

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 1 of a modied form of the invention; Figure 7 is a vertical section on line 'I--1 of Figure 6;V l

Figure 8 is a perspective view of the bracket employed in the modied form of the invention. In the form of my invention'disclosed in Figures 1 to- 5, inclusive, use is made of a clamp having resilient jaws I0 and IIV of flaty metal adapted to be attached to a table top T or like support to dispose the ilat lateral extension I2 of the clamp in a horizontal position as clearly shown in Figures 1 and 2. Y Y

'Ihe extension I2 has a vertical, rectangular opening I3 passing therethrough` and as shown in Figure 4 said opening is formed by merely slit- I ting the material of the extension and striking (Cl. 14e-armi from the latter the parallel disposed vertical flanges Ill-I4, the lower ends of which are bent angularly to provide stops I 4a.

The extension I2 constitutes a holder for a combined bean guide and knife carrier I5, in- 5 sertable into the opening I3 into engagement with the stops Illa. Mounted in said guide which is in the form of an open-ended sleeve, and disposed diagonally relative to the axis ofV the opening are leaf springs I6--I6 Vto resiliently grip 10 Y the bean and center same inthe guide. The outer ends Il of said springs are preferably, but not necessarily, passed into the opening |3`to be conned between the end walls thereof and the adjacent walls of the guide. The lower end of 15 said guide is provided with a suitable number of cutting blades I8, disposed in parallel spaced relation to eachother and having continuous sharp cutting edges I9. These knives are thus mounted so as to bedirectly located in the path o of a bean to thereby cut same into equally proportioned long length strips or sections.

The operation will be readily understood on reference to Figure 2 of the drawing, wherein a string bean B is shown passing through the 5 combined guide and knife carrier. It need only be said that to cut the bean, one end thereof is inserted in the guide and pushed downwardly to pass the knives I8, after which the bean can be grasped between the iingers from beneath the o knives and the bean pulled downwardly to complete the cutting operation.

In the form of the invention shown vin Figures 6to 8, inclusivethe clamp preferably consists of a body portion struck from a single blank of flat 35 spring metal to provide upper and lower clamping Y Y jaws 20 and 2| and a vertical connecting portion 22. To the portion 22 is riveted or otherwise suitablysecured at 23 a vertically disposed stirrupor yoke 24 which functions to receive a knife carrier and bean guide 25. This guide may be cast from metal or( any suitable well known composition of matter, and same is provided with a vertical ovate opening 26 through which the bean can move and be sliced by the knives 21 at the lower end of 45 said opening. The lower end of the guide is removably supported by the lugs 28 formed of the lower edges of the oppositely disposed walls of the yoke 244. ,f

I do not. wish to limit myself to the precise 50 form of device herein illustrated and shall have it clearly understood that the essence of the invention resides more Vparticularly in the'form of a means adapted to be readily clamped to and removed from a support, such as a table top,

whereby to dispose the bean guide and knife carrier in a vertical position at one side of the table. This feature will be broadly claimed, and I shall emphasize the importance attached to the provi- Vsion of a cutter against which a bean can be Vto receive the sleeve; yieldable iianges projecting from the holder between which the sleeve is forced and is frictionally retained against withdrawal Y from the opening; means on the anges with which the sleeve co-acts to deiinitely limit the extent to which the sleeve can Vbe inserted; and means by which the holder can be attached to a support. Y

Y 2. A culinary article comprising an openended sleeve having spaced cutting blades for cutting into strips, a string bean forced through said sleeve; a holder having a horizontal opening to vertically receive the sleeve; depending spring flanges projecting from opposed walls of the ropening and normally occupying `a contracted position to be expanded by and frictionally grip the sleeve against upward displacement from the opening; stop flanges projecting inwardly from the aforestated llanges, against which the lower end oi the sleeve abuts to provide a seat for the sleeve; and means by which the holder can be attached to a support.

NATHAN BELL. 

